I have several Brigham and they offer a nice factory pipe for a reasonable price. Good smokers, too. The famous Brigham rock maple filter was picked as the best filtered pipe in a compare conducted by P&T mag awhile back. My understanding is that allBrighams begin from the same briar blocks and go through the same basic production steps. Maybe not all shapes are available in all models. Higher costs go with certain “extras.” I think the Brigham Heritage line starts out with a glossy burgundy finish and burnishes into brown.

The Heritage is part of the 2007 series of Brigham pipes, now made in Europe. The three lowest grades are made in Italy, the rest, including the Heritage, in France. (The President series comes out of a different Italian factory, FWIW) All grades of pipes are available in all 12 shapes. The difference between grades is briar quality and a unique finish. The Heritage comes in a Deep Burgundy finish only.

A (loose) comparison with the vintage made-in-Canada Brigs puts the Heritage at roughly the old 5-Dot pipes. I have several of these older Brighams and they're great; I would be surprised if the quality had slipped greatly, though I don't have a Heritage in my rack to compare the old ones to directly.

One difference between the old and modern Brighams is the filter holder. They used to be made of aluminum, but are now made of a composite material. Makes absolutely no difference to the filter, of course, nor to the smoking characteristics of the pipe, but thought I'd put it out there.

Long story short, at $108USD/$135CAD, you can't really go wrong with a Brigham Heritage. It will be a good quality pipe that should serve you well for decades.

I do also recommend using the rock maple "distillators" (apparently the word "filter" is verboten these days). They trap a lot of moisture (the main cause of tongue bite) while leaving the airway open. You can pass a pipe cleaner through the stem with the filter in place, something no other filter system can claim. And you do not want to clean a pipe that has been smoked without the filter in place. Trust me on that one!

Ontariopiper, wouldn't I have to remove the rock maple filter to clean the inside of the stem?

Nice choice!

Yes, the filter comes out to clean the stem. They are reusable, though, so don't toss it out after the first smoke. Brigham says use a filter until it's darkly coloured, so basically filter life depends on what you smoke and how often. You can also rinse the filters under running water to extend their usefulness. Just let them dry before using.

Ontariopiper, wouldn't I have to remove the rock maple filter to clean the inside of the stem?

Nice choice!

Yes, the filter comes out to clean the stem. They are reusable, though, so don't toss it out after the first smoke. Brigham says use a filter until it's darkly coloured, so basically filter life depends on what you smoke and how often. You can also rinse the filters under running water to extend their usefulness. Just let them dry before using.

Enjoy your new pipe!

Great. Thanks so much for your detailed account of the Brigham Heritage series!! Why do they make the higher grade pipes in France? What's the difference between making them in Italy vs France?

Great. Thanks so much for your detailed account of the Brigham Heritage series!! Why do they make the higher grade pipes in France? What's the difference between making them in Italy vs France?

I don't have a definitive answer as to why they use different factories. Could be a quality issue (ie the factory producing the lower grade pipes isn't capable of handling the higher grades), could be a business decision (better price for a given quality level) or a combination of both. I suspect the last option may be closest to the truth here.

Ontario — Do you have any idea about Brigham’s pricing strategy? — i.e. Why is the Algonquin at $79 srp, the Heritage at $135 and Acadian at $189? ( I have two Algonquins, neither of which has any obvious defects and, far as I can tell, due to the unique filter, all Brigham’s should be alike internally.) So why would a Brigham customer move up the ladder from entry to top o’ the line? I’m just curious, is all.

I mean if you asked Honda why an EX has a higher suggested retail than an XL, the sales person would point to the moon roof. So what is the Brigham diff, I’ve oft wondered.

I also have a very nice Aldo Velani with terrific flame grain which looks like the Brigham 216 but sleeker, since it has no filter. My WAG is that the same Italian factory that turned out Brigham’s also turned out a Velani or two. My own .02 is that brands (of anything) almost always choose manufacturers based on cost and dependability. That’s why Brigham moved production out of Canada. Costs were too high. Labor was hard to find.

Ontario — Do you have any idea about Brigham’s pricing strategy? — i.e. Why is the Algonquin at $79 srp, the Heritage at $135 and Acadian at $189? ( I have two Algonquins, neither of which has any obvious defects and, far as I can tell, due to the unique filter, all Brigham’s should be alike internally.) So why would a Brigham customer move up the ladder from entry to top o’ the line? I’m just curious, is all.

I mean if you asked Honda why an EX has a higher suggested retail than an XL, the sales person would point to the moon roof. So what is the Brigham diff, I’ve oft wondered.

I also have a very nice Aldo Velani with terrific flame grain which looks like the Brigham 216 but sleeker, since it has no filter. My WAG is that the same Italian factory that turned out Brigham’s also turned out a Velani or two. My own .02 is that brands (of anything) almost always choose manufacturers based on cost and dependability. That’s why Brigham moved production out of Canada. Costs were too high. Labor was hard to find.

Brighams are very serviceable briars. Fifty, you say!

Kevin - my understanding is that pricing reflects the quality of the briar and the fit and finish of the pipe. Thus, the Acadian, with its natural finish, showcases some of the best briar available, whereas the dark, rusticated finish of the Voyageur series can hide a multitude of sins, so less expensive briar with more flaws can be used. That said, I'm not a huge fan of some of the finishes in the 2007 series pipes, but that's a matter of taste more than anything.

And yes, 50 at last count, though there are a few waiting for restoration.... Vintage Brighams are like Pokemon to me - Gotta catch'em all!